The love chapter is indeed powerful.

1 Corinthians 13 is such a powerful chapter, especially verses 4-8, which read:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

If God calls us to a life of relational love as a way of showing that we are followers of Jesus, then we can put our own name in place of the word love in these scriptures to gauge whether we truly love as Jesus does.

Shawn is patient and kind.

Shawn does envy or boast.

Shawn is not arrogant or rude.

Shawn does not insist on his own way.

Shawn is not irritable or resentful.

Shawn does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

Shawn bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Shawn never fails (in his quest for relational love).

I know I’m not there yet, but that’s exactly where I want to be. It takes practice. Confess these things every day and live them out. You will know when every else sees the difference in you. God loves you.

And remember, do something today to step out of the boat and become a kingdom champion. “I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14)

Step Out of the Boat is a ministry created by Charisma Media Content Development Editor Shawn A. Akers and dedicated to help Christ followers to become spiritual champions and come to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. With its articles, podcasts and other forms of media, Step Out of the Boat encourages Christ followers to daily reach to a higher level in their calling. Shawn is a 35-year veteran sportswriter, a published poet and he published a story about Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Chicken Soup for the Soul. You can read his blog here. You can also listen to his podcasts, the Javelin Sports Show, on the Charisma Podcast Network.

Note: This is a guest post from my good friend, Mark DeJesus. His blogs really get to the heart of your life and your relationship with God. Please check it out, and check out his blog at markdejesus.com.

By Mark DeJesus

The subject of hearing thoughts from God can be an incredibly powerful learning experience. Yet there can also be many concerns when it comes to the subject of receiving thoughts from God, hearing from God or being led by God.

Many destructive choices can stem from someone saying they were directed by God and we have witnessed many people slide into mental health struggles while continuing to credit God with everything they did.

It is our heart to encourage and equip people to hear from God, but to also process it out in a healthy way. God’s thoughts ought to produce more love, grace, transformation and fruitful relationships. If not, we can end up saying we are hearing from God, when in reality, we may be open to deceptive thought system.

You Were Made to Receive God Thoughts

The good news is that you can receive a thought from God and the adventure can be amazing! Yet the cry of so many is that they struggle to receive thoughts from God, sense His voice or walk with an ongoing connection to His love.

Well take a deep breath. It’s OK, because nobody hears from God perfectly! We are in a process and journey of learning what it means to gain clarity, while giving ourselves permission to grow each day. Melissa and I want to cut through the religious facades that people put on and the super-spiritual capes that get presented and be more vulnerable with the fact that we are learning.

We need to remove the pressure to hear God perfectly and allow our relationships to grow together in mutual honor of what God may be saying and doing in each of our lives.

But what are some healthy habits so that we can hear God thoughts in a better way? How can I make this journey more fruitful? How can I protect myself from thoughts that will lead me into dangerous territory?

In this episode, we want to do just that by sharing 3 healthy and helpful habits that will strengthen your thought life.

Mark DeJesushas served as an experienced communicator since the 1990s. As a teacher, author, coach and radio host, Mark is deeply passionate about awakening hearts and equipping people towards transformational living. Through his own personal transformation, Mark is experienced in helping people overcome and live fruitful lives. He is the author of 5 books and hundreds of teachings. He hosts a weekly radio podcast show called Transformed You and blogs at markdejesus.com. His writings have been featured on sites like CharismaMag.com.

If this isn’t the best news a follower of Chris can receive, I don’t know what is.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:38-39, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, NOTHING in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Not even Satan himself can drive a wedge between us and our wonderful savior. He’ll use our sin against us to convince us that we’re not worthy of his love, but 2 Corinthians 5:21 assures us that, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

And despite what many may argue, as children of God, we cannot, with our deeds–with anything we do–be in more right standing with Christ because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Don’t allow Satan or any one person deceive you into thinking that’s even possible.

“Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

This concept is very simple to understand and the benefits are easy to obtain. As a child of the risen Savior, all you have to do is believe it and receive it!

Now, there may be an emotional disconnect between ourselves and Christ, but that’s self-condemnation, and that’s one of the biggest lies you’ll ever hear from the devil. Cling–cling I say for your very heart and soul–to the Word of God. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Do not–and I repeat DO NOT–allow the enemy to convince you that your sin has rendered you worthless to God. That is exactly what Satan wants. He will spout of the venom of deception and try to convince you that God does not approve of you.

But you know what? Love and approval are two very different things (thank you Pastor Ed Garvin for your wonderful sermon last Sunday about Jesus and the Samaritan woman). Love is unconditional and everlasting. Approval is fleeting; it’s finite and it’s shallow. Unfortunately, many, including even the most ardent believers, have allowed the disapproval of others to mask the truth that God will never leave you nor forsake you.

“You are loved by and are in right standing with Jesus, no matter what you do”

You can view that sermon above, starting at the 6:00 mark. I compel you to watch the rest of it. You will be blessed and it could change your life.

If you’re hurting, discouraged or disappointed because someone has insulted you, called you worthless and told you your life will never amount to anything, please listen carefully to what Pastor Garvin has to say. You are loved by and are in right standing with Jesus, no matter what you do. That doesn’t give you a license to sin, because God does discipline His children.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children” (Heb. 12:5-7)

In this twisted culture, we have somehow connected love to approval, Pastor Garvin says. And, the enemy will exploit this. So many of us bear the scars of disapproval, but that comes only from man. And what can man do to you? Nothing. If God be for us, who can be against us?

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Prov. 29:25).

It’s the safety of the Lord’s love, and God’s love will NEVER leave you no matter what you do or don’t do. It’s in God’s Word, all there in black and white. Trust these words, because you ARE loved. NOTHING can separate you from that. What great news!

And remember, do something today to step out of the boat and become a kingdom champion. “I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14)

Step Out of the Boat is a ministry created by Charisma Media Content Development Editor Shawn A. Akers and dedicated to help Christ followers to become spiritual champions and come to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. With its articles, podcasts and other forms of media, Step Out of the Boat encourages Christ followers to daily reach to a higher level in their calling. Shawn is a 35-year veteran sportswriter, a published poet and he published a story about Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Chicken Soup for the Soul. You can read his blog here. You can also listen to his podcasts, the Javelin Sports Show, on the Charisma Podcast Network.

Today, I want to share with you an excerpt from the 12th chapter. Rev. Rodriguez says:

If the enemy is attacking you, it’s because God is about to use you.

If the enemy is attacking your life, it’s because God is working in you.

If the enemy is attacking your weakness, it’s because you’re about to display God’s strength.

If the enemy is attacking you right now, it’s because you’re so close to arriving in Rome (Paul’s destination). So close!

I don’t know about you, but I feel blessed. The enemy is attacking me right now. He’s attacking my life, and he’s attacking my weakness. That means God is about ready to use me, he’s working in me and I’m about to display God’s strength.

That’s enough encouragement to carry me throughout the day, the week, the month and the year. I hope you take this encouragement to heart.

The enemy doesn’t want you to do anything that will bring God glory and further His kingdom. If you’re doing that, then he’ll try to undermine you. Take up your weapons and fight Him–tooth and nail.

Do something today to step out of the boat and become a kingdom champion.

“I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14)

Step Out of the Boat is a ministry created by Charisma Media Content Development Editor Shawn A. Akers and dedicated to help Christ followers to become spiritual champions and come to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. With its articles, podcasts and other forms of media, Step Out of the Boat encourages Christ followers to daily reach to a higher level in their calling. Shawn is a 35-year veteran sportswriter, a published poet and he published a story about Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Chicken Soup for the Soul. You can read his blog here. You can also listen to his podcasts, the Javelin Sports Show, on the Charisma Podcast Network.

No matter how tough it is, there is hope for your child.

NOTE: The following is a guest post from my good friend, Kathy DeGraw. I, too, have a strong-willed teenager. This advice from her is wonderful, powerful and best of all, biblically sound. Kathy is a great teacher.

By Kathy DeGraw

I never thought it would happen to our family. I’m sure many Christian parents say the same thing.

We were all passionately on fire for the Lord—all but one.

The verse, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6 MEV) took on new meaning after my experience. I learned crucial tenets in the process of dealing with a rebellious child and how not to push her further away from God but draw her back to God.

I never doubted my child would come back. I knew all along the Spirit would take hold of her and set her on fire to become a world changer.

There is hope for your child too. There is hope for any child! The key to deliverance is two-fold; not only for the child but also for the parents.

The parents need to rely on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and insight. Children need to bind flesh, submit their strong will and allow the Holy Spirit to convict them. We cannot change our children or force them to change, but by the grace of God and guidance of the Holy Spirit we can expect change when we follow the Spirit’s leading.

The foremost thing parents need to do is to pray this simple prayer over their child: “Holy Spirit, convict them and expose the truth to them.”

This prayer is simple, but it is also in its purest form as we are not praying in manipulation, control or self-made agendas of what we want to see changed in them. The Holy Spirit knows better than anyone what prayers our children require and how to reveal their shortcomings to them.

As pastors, it was difficult for my husband and I to discover our daughter wasn’t interested in the pursuit of Jesus as the rest of our family was. Even though our daughter was never into drugs, smoking, drinking or sex, her hyper-sensitive extreme teenage attitude and rebellion was a great strain and stress on our family.

The greatest adjustment for me was to learn to keep my mouth shut when I wanted to enforce my will or control certain situations. For example, there is the time when I discovered she was listening to country music when only Christian music was allowed in our home.

I believe the keys listed below are crucial in helping rebellious children come back to the Lord instead of driving them further away. It worked for me, and I hope and pray it will work for your child. Remember, there is always hope with God.

You have to learn to choose your battles. While my friend would force worship flags into her daughter’s hands to try and encourage her relationship with the Lord, I took a step back and asked the Holy Spirit, “What do you say about this situation and what should my response be?” I believe we need to rely more on the Holy Spirit than our flesh and natural reaction if we want to win the war on rebellion. For me it has helped over the years to get to know who the Holy Spirit is and how He can help me. Charisma Media has a series called Life in the Spirit. It can help you draw close and learn more about the Holy Spirit too.

I believe the keys listed below are crucial in helping rebellious children come back to the Lord instead of driving them further away. It worked for me, and I hope and pray it will work for your child. Remember, there is always hope with God. Just look at how Saul converted to Paul.

Here are five keys in dealing with a rebellious child:

Allow the Holy Spirit to lead. Seek the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead and guide your conversation and actions with your child, including when to speak, when to stay quiet and what direction to take next.

Back off. Don’t push your child, force your opinions or attempt to control them. Give them the space they need. Pushing and forcing them will only lead them further away.

Pray through declaring prayer. Speak out and declare out your prayers. Bind and restrict the enemy. Take authority in the spiritual realm and make sure the devil knows you mean business. (I declared over my child’s room four times and then I saw dramatic change. You can read about it in my Creation House-published book, Speak Out.

Pray over their possessions. Anoint their bedroom, vehicle and possessions with anointing oil. Pray over their food while you prepare it and their clothes while you fold the laundry. Pray and speak out loud into the atmosphere of their bedroom or vehicle. Anoint their clothes, bed, toothbrush, whatever you can get your hands on, and claim and call them back to the Lord.

Prophesy it! Prophesy their destiny into the atmosphere. Speak and declare that they are a world changer and will impact nations. Speak into the spiritual realm that the devil will not have your child, but that they will be set on fire for the Lord. Speak and declare, and prophesy what you want to see happen—not in a controlling or manipulative way, but according to the word of the Lord.

Never give up hope that your child will change; keep believing like we did. The Lord told me three times upon dropping my daughter off at college, “This is my will for her life.” She went to a secular college and her faith began to bloom. She took a stand against partying, sexual activities, abortion and homosexuality. She made her faith and stances known in the first year. She came home that summer and worked on her relationship with me, we are now best friends.

Every year she went back to college, God released more things through her life, she started to blog, and even wrote an article for Charisma Magazine online. She went on mission trips, got involved in a youth group, led Bible studies and, by the last year, was living in a church home in a leadership position. Every summer she came home and worked on another part of rebellion, rejection, or relationships. Instead of her parents, she needed the Holy Spirit, for a time, to lead, guide and convict her.

My girl, who once went to church out of obligation now can’t wait to get inside the church doors of an apostolic prophetic spirit-filled church. She recently approached me and is begging me to allow her to travel the nations and minister with me. Upon moving her back home recently, after her graduation, she requested a prayer corner to be set up in her room, which we gladly obliged.

Again, I want to reiterate the key elements: Don’t give up hope, give distance, pray and declare, and let them have the space they need. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you and them. I encourage you to learn how to lean and rely on the Holy Spirit through Charisma Media’s Life in the Spirit Series.

Learn more about the power of declaring prayer through my book Speak Out.

Kathy DeGrawis a prophetic healing and deliverance minister and the founder of DeGraw Ministries. She is passionate about releasing the love and power of God to empower and activate people. She is the author of several books including; Speak Out, Warfare Declarations, Who is Speaking? and Powerful Prophetic Proclamations. You can connect with Kathy on Facebook at facebook.com/kathydegraw/ or visit degrawministries.org.

This man needs our prayers more than just about anyone.

There are liberals and then there are people who simply hate God. Noam Chomsky is one of the latter.

In this article on CBN News, Chomsky, a world-renowned liberal professor “who’s harshly critical of conservative public policy positions,” recently told college students at a special lecture that this generation “is facing the most awesome question that has ever arisen in human history: the question is will organized human life survive.”

He also said, “People in high places now claim to be devout Christians, and on the basis of Christian ideals they’re saying let’s proceed to destroy the world.”

In the past, Chomsky has attacked Christianity and mocked God. I’m not sure how old he is (you can judge by the photo), but it doesn’t look as if he has much time for this earth. It is God’s will that everyone come to repentance and not perish, isn’t? Aren’t we to pray for our enemies? If we believe God’s Word, then we all need to pray for this man. I pray for his heart and I pray for his soul. Therefore:

“Dear Lord, I pray to you with all my heart that you do something miraculous to change and transform the heart of this man, Noam Chomsky. You know what He has done and what He has said against you. But on the cross Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Mr. Chomsky may know exactly what he is doing. But then, he may not because he may not have ever known about Your truth–your message of grace and redemption. We pray against the forces and legions of Satan that have hold of this man and pray that they set him free right now in the name of Jesus. He obviously holds a great deal of influence over a great many people. Transform his heart and his mind so that he can influence people for You. And protect those who hear him speak now from the venom that the enemy spews to turn them away from you. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.”

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” (Prov. 10:12)

A poisonous snake bit the apostle Paul. After all he had been through, he simply shook it off. (Danny Chapman via Flickr)

In Christ, you are strong. Nothing hell sends your way can stop you as a child of God–if you trust Him and you won’t allow it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you need encouragement, you need to read Samuel Rodriguez’s book, Shake Free: How to Deal with the Storms, Shipwrecks and Snakes in Your Life.

Read this passage: “When your God-given confidence and ability are born out of adversity, grounded in hope and powered by faith in the living God, you can shake off everything hell may send your way. You are no longer who you used to be. You are not who others say you are. You re not even the person you may think you are!

Paul went through storms, shipwreck and near death, only to have a viper bite him! What did he do? He just shook it off and nothing happened.

Storm survivors are not afraid of snakes, Rodriguez says. You’ve survived your storms, and you’re still here. Through it all, you grabbed hold of the promise that if God is for you, there is no one who can be against you!

Through it all, God provided.

Through it all, God protected.

Through it all, God promoted.

“They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 1:19)

You may find that provocative word in Proverbs 12:1, but in reality, it takes on a whole other meaning than what you might think.

By Shawn A. Akers

One of the most famous lines from the movie Forrest Gump is Forrest’s proclamation, “stupid is as stupid does.” Forrest says “Just like Lt. Dan doesn’t want to be called crippled, I don’t want to be called stupid.”

My wife, Patty, and I used to chastise our children for calling other children stupid. We told them to never use that word again, and we tried to do the same to set the example.

Nobody wants to be called stupid, especially by the Bible, the Word of God. Yet in Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid” (NIV). Other versions, like the Modern English Version, translates the last line to say, “but he who hates reproof is brutish.”

The word brutish has several meanings: cruel, gross, coarse, carnal, sensual, uncivilized and even bestial, like an animal. I kid you not. Look it up here on dictionary.com.

Now we all know that God is not calling people out by using those names. He is not a God that will ridicule people or bring cruel and unjust punishment on them, as many believe by holding true to the Old Testament. We know that Jesus brought grace, mercy and redemption to mankind by dying on the cross.

But, and there is simply no way around this. Some people just aren’t going to get it. They simply choose to be obedient and not heed to instruction—whether they be believers or non-believers. As non-believers, this might be excused because these people don’t know the truth of God’s Word. Believers, on the other hand …

The love of instruction implies humility. It argues a sense of ignorance and need of information.

Instead of stupid or foolish, I choose to use the word defiant here. Let’s take a look at the first part of Proverbs 12:1—“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.” Obviously, if you don’t want knowledge—the knowledge of what will improve your relationship with Christ by leaps and bounds—then you will hate discipline. You don’t believe you need discipline in your life and that you’re doing OK living the way you are.

Some may call that stupid or foolish. I call it defiant. And I should know. I defied God for many, many years before I decided I needed His discipline.

Studyight.org tell us that “It is by instruction that knowledge comes. He who fancies he has all in himself will never learn. … The love of instruction implies humility. It argues a sense of ignorance and need of information. It is a common thing for men to allow pride to cheat them of much valuable knowledge.”

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the knowledge of God, I don’t want to be cheated out of anything. I want everything I can get to live an obedient and righteous life.

But that means only one thing—submission to God. And I know a lot of people who either simply do not want to submit to God because of their own selfish desires or others who do want to but simply won’t do it. I put myself in the latter category in my younger years.

Many children learn to disobey their parents while growing up, and that pattern of sin simply never leaves them. You disobey your parents, and then society and then the Word of God.

A man may get by on wickedness for a while and think he’s living a wonderful life. But, in general, the triumph of wicked is short. God will see to that, sooner or later. I don’t want to have that to look forward to.

My advice? Don’t be stupid, er, I mean, defiant. And I don’t mean that in a demeaning way. It’s my experience that when you’re obedient to God instead of disobedient, then He is more apt to be benevolent to you. Not that He loves you any more or any less because He always stays the same. “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psa. 37:4).

Do something today to step out of the boat and become a kingdom champion.

Step Out of the Boat is a ministry created by Charisma Media Content Development Editor Shawn A. Akers and dedicated to help Christ followers to become spiritual champions and come to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. With its articles, podcasts and other forms of media, Step Out of the Boat encourages Christ followers to daily reach to a higher level in their calling. Shawn is a 35-year veteran sportswriter, a published poet and he published a story about Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Chicken Soup for the Soul. You can read his blog here. You can also listen to his podcasts, the Javelin Sports Show, on the Charisma Podcast Network.

Very few of us do, however, and that’s why we stay stuck in spiritual mediocrity.

By Shawn A. Akers

What if you had the ability and the opportunity to step into the greatest joy and power you have ever known? Well, guess what? You do!

All it takes is a little—or maybe sometimes a lot—of self-examination. What is it that is compromising your relationship with Christ?

Is it pride? Is it arrogance? Is it selfishness? Is it sin? Is it something or some things that you have put before Jesus?

Are you disobedient to God’s Word in any way?

We all know that Jesus loves us more than we can possibly imagine, and we know that he wants us to come unto him, according to James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

And then there is Proverbs 8:17: “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.”

And how about Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.“

Those who diligently seek Him will find Him. I don’t know about you, but I want to find Him and find Him every day. Who doesn’t want to be rewarded by God? I don’t know of any Christ follower who doesn’t want that.

I know, however, this won’t happen if I allow those things I have mentioned above to put a road block between myself and Him.

For me, it could be pride. I don’t want to bury myself in the Bible in prayer right now. I deserve to rest. I’ve feebily made that excuse before.

It could be idol worship. Alabama’s playing. As soon as the game’s over, I’ll read the Bible, and I’ll pray. Guilty (but not condemned).

Those, my friend, are defining moments. As Kevin Costner says in the movie “Tin Cup,” either “you define the moment or the moment defines you.” How many moments in life define you?

I’ve had too many in many in my life to count. Too many regrets. But again, no condemnation because, as Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

What I want now is to define myself as an obedient child of God. When the moment defines you, it can only mean disobedience, even if it’s only delayed. Remember, delayed obedience is disobedience.

As my pastor, Ed Garvin, recently said, we need to stop going to church and start being the church. We need to start showing the world who we belong to and that we will not compromise that ideal. Are you with me?

That’s all about obedience. I pray to God, Lord, whatever you have to do in me to make that happen, please, make it happen. Help me to be obedient to you in everything I do every day. EVERYTHING, and EVERY DAY.”

I know what that means for me. What does that mean for you?

“Now therefore, if you will faithfully obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is Mine” (Exo. 19:5)

Don’t you want to be His special possession?

And remember to do something today to go to a higher level in your kingdom calling. Become a kingdom champion. Today.

Step Out of the Boat is a ministry created by Charisma Media Content Development Editor Shawn A. Akers and dedicated to help Christ followers to become spiritual champions and come to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. With its articles, podcasts and other forms of media, Step Out of the Boat encourages Christ followers to daily reach to a higher level in their calling. Shawn is a 35-year veteran sportswriter, a published poet and he published a story about Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Chicken Soup for the Soul. You can read his blog here. You can also listen to his podcasts, the Javelin Sports Show, on the Charisma Podcast Network